Celebrity Nooz: Daphne Reid

Daphne Reid (Actress) - Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Updated: 9/26/23

Name: Daphne Reid

Birth Name: Daphne Etta Maxwell

Born: July 13, 1948 in New York City, New York, USA

Claim To Fame: Daphne Reid is an American actress, comedian, designer and former model, best known for her role as the second Vivian Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1993 to 1996.

Family Life: Married Robert Tubbs in 1968. They had one son, Chris, before divorcing in 1979. She married actor Tim Reid in 1982, and became stepmother to his two children, Tim and Tori.

Info: The daughter of Rosalee and Green Maxwell.

She is a graduate of The Bronx High School of Science.

She received a degree in interior design and architecture from Northwestern University.

While at Northwestern she began a modeling career, eventually signing with the Eileen Ford modeling agency.

Also served on the board of visitors at Virginia State University after she was appointed in July 2008.

In 2010, she became an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, during their 50th national convention in New Orleans.

Trivia: While at Northwestern, she signed with the Eileen Ford modeling agency and soon became the first black woman to be on the cover of Glamour magazine.

Her first TV work was a continuing role with Robert Conrad in his series The Duke (1979).

In 1981, Reid appeared in The Whispers music video for the song "It's A Love Thing".

She and her husband, Tim Reid, moved to Virginia and formed their own production studio called Millennium Studios, the first such studio to be built in Virginia. It was there until 2014.

They also had a syndicated talk show called "The Tim and Daphne Show" for King World in 1990-1991.

Her best-known role was as the replacement actress for Vivian Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, from 1993 to 1996, following the departure of Janet Hubert-Whitten. She joined the show right after the fictional character Nicky Banks was born toward the end of Season 3, when Hubert-Whitten did not renew her contract.

She had a recurring role as JT's mother, Frances Hunter, on the UPN sitcom Eve.

Reid is also an accomplished photographer as well as a designer and clothing creator.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Reid served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute.

She is a recipient of the Women of Vision Award from Women in Film & Video, among a myriad of other awards.

Where Are They Now: In 2022, she guest-starred in an episode of "Bel-Air", the dramatic re-imagining of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". Reid has appeared on the series several more times.

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